Translation of abstract (English)

In this thesis choices and strategies of individual members of the Tamil potter caste called Velar regarding their traditional caste occupation and the ongoing occupational mobility are investigated from an anthropological perspective. This is done within the field of tension between the occidental perception of absence of the "spirit of capitalism" and by implication the disability of rational acting concerning utility in the caste system and the current economic and cultural changes taking place in India. It is examined in which way the traditional spirit of caste and rational choice are interwoven or opposed in the local cultural milieu. To elicit the factors influencing occupational choice behaviour and strategies, the author has conducted a series of field interviews. The interviews address subjective and structural influences including the family background of the actors, the volume of social, economic and cultural capital, caste identity, habitus, social status, social role expectations, macro structural conditions, and economic pressures. The analysis of the decision making of the actors is informed by rational choice theory and Pierre Bourdieu’s reflections within his sociology regarding habitus and social space. This is done with special attention to the specific cultural milieu of the Velar. The Velar’s culture is a composition of shared norms, values and social roles, which mutually determine the selfperception of the members of the potter caste apposed to other social groups. In order to extend the knowledge of the literature at hand the author conducted research from November 2007 to February 2008 in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.